Center for Judaic Studies

Welcome to

The Center for Judaic Studies

The Center for Judaic Studies is a vibrant source of in-depth Jewish learning on campus and across Colorado. In addition to being home to our own faculty experts, CJS hosts annual visiting scholars from around the world.

Judaic Studies

The Judaic Studies program combines courses in Judaic studies, English, Hebrew, history, philosophy and religious studies to give students a well-rounded perspective on Jewish culture, thought and history.

Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site

A University of Denver space dedicated to inclusivity and diversity, the mission of the Holocaust Memorial Social Action Site is to honor and remember those who lost their lives in the Holocaust by dedicating ourselves to acts of learning, dialogue, and bridge-building aimed at making the world a better place.

Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society

The Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society is one of the premier local Jewish historical societies in the United States. It is the largest and most exhaustive historical society of its kind in the region.

Holocaust Awareness Institute

The Holocaust Awareness Institute is a campus and community resource for coursework, teacher trainings, education materials and programming. HAI is the region's leading agent for promoting education about the Holocaust and related ethical and social justice issues.

Internationalization

CJS works with campus and community partners on a number of global projects. In addition to our curricular emphasis on internationalization, CJS faculty members travel around the world to present their research findings and to pursue their work at international archives, museums, and archaeological sites.

Center for Judaic Studies

Advancing knowledge of Jewish history, thought and culture through learning, intercultural dialogue, and social action.

The Center for Judaic Studies (CJS) is a vibrant source of in-depth Jewish learning on campus and across Colorado.

Our faculty are research and teaching experts in a wide range of interdisciplinary areas of Judaic Studies. Their work is internationally recognized, and they offer an impressive annual lineup of undergraduate and graduate courses in fields of Jewish history, religion, language, literature, philosophy, film, and culture.

In addition to being home to our own faculty experts, CJS hosts annual visiting scholars, performing artists, authors, poets and filmmakers from around the world.

CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES SPOTLIGHT

Click on the text to read more about CJS events and happenings!

Recipients Announced for the 2015 Dr. Irwin E. Vinnik Fellowship for the Advanced Study of Israel

Join us in congratulating this year's recipients of the Vinnik Fellowship! Stay tuned for more information about their upcoming educational adventures, and for the 2016 call for proposals. In the meantime, check out the biographies of this year's winners, plus links to past projects by clicking here.

CJS Sponsors the DU Native American Student Alliance Pow-wow!

As part of our commitment to celebrating diversity across campus and in the greater Denver community, CJS continues to co-sponsor the DU Native American Student Alliance annual Pow-wow! This year's pow-wow took place on May 3, 2015, marking the 5th anniversary of the annual New Beginnings Spring Powwow. The event has become a campus-wide event with support from the Chancellor's office, DU Programming Board and the Center for Multicultural Excellence.

In Native American communities, a powwow is a social gathering, a time when dance and music honor the resilient cultural history of Native American people and tradition. A pow-wow encompasses a variety of educational experiences including history and art. This cultural celebration will enable our university and community to foster fellowship with the city of Denver and Native Peoples of the North and Southwest. For this reason, we wish to share this stunning and unique culture experience with our peers and community.

The vibrant display of American Indian culture is offered free and open to the University of Denver community and the city of Denver. The beauty of a pow-wow resides in its overreaching unity and sanctity. People of all tribal affiliations and races can participate in a powwow. Also during the powwow a brief history and information of each performance was be presented.

Hebrew Students Learn to Cook Israeli Food!

This spring, Prof. Sari Havis' Hebrew classes visited DU's Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management where they learned to cook traditional Israeli food. Here are Shira, Yaakov, and Alex preparing to make a beautiful Israeli salad!

As part of University College’s Enrichment Program, Dr. Jonathan Sciarcon, Assistant Professor of History and Judaic Studies, will teach the two session evening course (Wed., 6:30-8:30 p.m., Mar. 25, Apr. 1, 2015), The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli Perspectives. Click here to find out more and register for the course.